The present invention relates generally to motor vehicles and more particularly to a method of providing information regarding a leading vehicle to subsequent trailing vehicles among a plurality of vehicles in a line.
With the ever increasing size of motor vehicles in the form of sports utility vehicles, vans, etc., a situation often occurs when trailing such a large vehicle in that the trailing vehicle lacks a view of the road in front to the large vehicle. In many cases, the lack of knowing what is occurring in front of the larger, leading, vehicle has an impact on the trailing vehicle and in turn each of the vehicles in the line of cars following the lead vehicle. For example, the leading vehicle may engage the brake to slow down gradually or to stop suddenly. In other cases, the leading vehicle may signal a turn, by engaging the turn signal lever and causing the turn signal indicator(s) to begin flashing. In addition, the leading vehicle may engage both the brake and the turn signal substantially simultaneously causing both a change in brightness of the rear signal lights along with a flashing of the same or different rear signal lights. In each of these cases, the driver in a trailing vehicle is required to engage his/her own brake in response to the actions of the leading vehicle In addition, each of the subsequently trailing vehicles, in turn, responds with a braking action based on the actions of the vehicle that they are following.
However, a driver in a vehicle trailing a leading vehicle does not know whether the braking action of the leading vehicle is merely to reduce speed slightly, or to reduce speed at a much greater rate. Similarly, when a turn signal is engaged, the driver in the trailing vehicle does not know when the leading vehicle will begin slowing down to make the turn. In either case, the driver in the trailing vehicle must respond as if in a worst case scenario and begin a braking action that may be slightly faster and harder than that of the leading vehicle.
Hence, there is a need for a method and device for providing information regarding information of a leading vehicle to drivers in a line of vehicles trailing the leading vehicle.